The F1 W10 EQ Power+ was designed and developed by Mercedes-Benz under the direction of James Allison, John Owen, Mike Elliott, Loïc Serra, Ashley Way, Emiliano Giangiulio, Jarrod Murphy, Eric Blandin and Aldo Costa. It was the successor to the Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, continuing the trend of increasing the visibility of Mercedes’ electric road car models, with “AMG” included to reflect the relationship between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Benz. The chassis continued its numbering as F1 W10, representing the tenth Formula One car constructed by Mercedes since 2010. The car’s design was heavily influenced by the evolving 2019-20 regulations.
Mercedes ran two distinct aerodynamic packages during pre-season testing, experimenting with ‘inboard’ and ‘outboard’ front wing philosophies. The ‘outboard’ configuration, featuring a significantly revised nose, bargeboards, floor, and engine cover, was ultimately chosen for the 2019 season. The car excelled in slow- and medium-speed corners, a marked improvement over its predecessor. This was often contrasted with the straight-line speed advantage of Ferrari. The W10’s downforce was instrumental in effectively utilizing the new Pirelli tire concept.
The car was powered by the Mercedes-AMG F1 M10 EQ Power+ engine. While considered less powerful than Ferrari’s 064 engine in terms of outright qualifying power and straight-line speed, the Mercedes power unit was the most fuel-efficient in the field. However, the third iteration of the engine (Phase 3) experienced reliability issues, resulting in failures at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. Major upgrades were introduced throughout the season, including a bargeboard redesign in Spain ("boomerang"), revised rear-facing cooling outlets and sidepod vanes in Germany, and updates to the front wing, sidepod deflectors, and floor in Japan.
The Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ made its competitive debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. Bottas secured a dominant win, leading Hamilton in a 1-2 finish. This set the tone for a remarkably successful season. The team continued their strong form with another 1-2 finish in Bahrain, despite qualifying on the second row. In China, Hamilton won convincingly, securing a third consecutive 1-2 finish for Mercedes – a feat last achieved by Williams in 1992.
Mercedes continued to dominate, achieving front-row lockouts in Azerbaijan, Spain, Monaco, and Hungary. Bottas won in Azerbaijan, while Hamilton triumphed in Spain and Monaco. The Canadian Grand Prix saw Hamilton secure a record-equalling seventh victory at the circuit, matching Michael Schumacher’s record. Hamilton won again in France, completing the team’s eighth successive victory of 2019.
The European rounds presented some challenges. Mercedes struggled for pace in Austria, with both drivers experiencing overheating issues. While Hamilton won in Great Britain, the German Grand Prix was marred by rain and reliability problems, with both drivers finishing outside the points. Ferrari proved competitive in Belgium and Italy, but strategic decisions and reliability issues ultimately favored Mercedes in Russia and Japan, securing the Constructors’ Championship for a record-equalling sixth time.
The final races of the season saw Mercedes continue to perform strongly, with Hamilton winning in Mexico, the United States, and Abu Dhabi. Hamilton clinched his sixth Drivers’ Championship at the United States Grand Prix. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw Hamilton achieve a ‘grand slam’ – pole position, fastest lap, leading every lap, and winning the race.
[unverified] No regulatory outcomes are explicitly mentioned in the corpus.
[unverified] The corpus does not detail the W10’s influence on subsequent designs. A modified W10 was used during testing of the 2022 tyre compounds after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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